Keith Golden discusses how Georgia, US, is dealing with its traffic congestion and other transportation challenges through various programs. The Georgia Legislature has passed House Bill 277 - Transportation Investment Act (TIA) of 2010 - to address the state's mounting transportation needs, such as declining infrastructure and increasing demands for new capacity. TIA 2010 provides the citizens of Georgia with the opportunity to determine the future of transportation in their communities. In fall 2011, commuters on I-85 began to benefit from Georgia's first high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) to high occupancy toll (HOT) lane conversion. The express lanes help manage traffic flow, offer motorists another commuting option, and provide more reliable trip times. A DDI is a relatively low-cost congestion and safety solution that enables meaningful improvements at clogged interchanges without expending huge sums of money and time.
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There has been a significant shift in how engineers and planners carry out their jobs. Transportation engineers are increasingly concerned with density and mix of land uses and how they dictates various modes, while planners are more aware of tying neighborhoods together with multimodal transportation facilities. Many factors are contributing to this cross-pollination of the engineering and planning professions, such as significant demographic shifts, the impact of the most recession on government revenues, and a growing community interest in sustainability and livability.
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Experts emphasize on the need to maintain long-standing core competencies such as safety and operations. They state that it is essential to embrace required changes in the profession to better respond to the mobility needs of complex urban areas and to the rapidly evolving vehicle technologies that will impact surface transportation infrastructure. Transportation professionals are involved in all three aspects of safety, engineering, education, and enforcement. Professionals are making a difference in the movement toward zero deaths, whether it is through a downtown complete streets project or a road diet that results in a speed reduction, reduced pavement areas, improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities, or safe routes to school programs.
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